Vichy, it was learned, had sent Admiral Decoux instructions to resume the negotiations, while Gen. Nishihara also was believed to have received new orders from Tokyo.
Prior to the resumption of the Franco-Japanese negotiations regarding Japanese demands for the establishment of naval and air Eight Separate U.S. Government Agencies Probe Most Sensational Blast Since "Black Tom"
Kenvil, N.J., Sept. 14.
Forty-one bodies had been recovered from the smouldering ruins of the Hercules Powder Company here last night as eight separate Government agencies pushed investigations in an effort to determine whether sabotage was responsible for the nation's biggest munitions explosion since the historic "Black Tom" case of July 30, 1916.
Eighty-three persons were removed to hospitals yesterday following the explosion in which the total dead may reach more than 100.
Two hundred rescue workers continued to dig in the smouldering ruins of the munitions plant last night in search of other bodies.
Twenty thousand tons of smokeless powder were blown up in the explosion, which caused property damage estimated last night at mor? than US$1,000,000.
The blasts caused further incalculpable damage by indefinitely detaining the progress of national defence contracts totaling almost US$17,000,000.
At least nine powder houses, in which British and American Government orders were being filled, were blown up. Damage was estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Ambulances and fire apparatus from dozens of communities in the area were rushed to the scene of the explosions, which were heard for 50 miles Smoke and flames were visible for many miles more and windows throughout the area were shattered. Residents in Duchess and Westchester Counties believed there was an earthquake.
Experts thought it possible that a can of dry powder had detonated as a result of spontaneous combustion, starting the chain of explosions. Nevertheless, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced at its Newark field office that would it investigate the blast.
Suspicion that sabotage was responsible for the destruction of the Hercules Powder Company by explosion was strengthened today with the announcement that fingerprints of employees were sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Finger-print files of practically every employee of the smokeless powder plant were sent to Washington for F.B.I. criminal and alien examination.
An investigator, who withheld rame, said that "if any sabotage is to be found it will be revealed in tke employees' list."—United Press. bases and the passage of troops through Indo-China. French officials met to determine the Governments policy in continuing the talks.
Meanwhile, the Government wes understood to be planning to protest to Chungking against the destruction of the railway bridge at Laokay by regular troops. of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek because of damage to French property. The Government learned that the destruction was carried out by regular Chungking forces and not by troops headed by Governor Lung Yun of Yunnan.
The protest, it was also understood, would point out that the destruction of the bridge would result in cutting off not only Yunnan but the whole of south China from food supplies.
Unconfirmed reports said that the Chinese were, removing rails of the Haiphong-Kunming railway and transferring them for use in the Burma railway.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.